Summer means a perfect time to head off the beach. It’s also an opportunity to enjoy the warmth of the sun and tan the skin naturally. For some, lying on a beach bed outside the house is perfect enough to have a suntan. This means that tanning oils become a necessity for those who love to achieve a golden complexion.
Chemical-based sunscreens and sunblocks can be harmful to the skin. The ingredients may cause irritation and damage to your skin. Sometimes, these products may not be effective in protecting the skin from the sun’s harmful rays. Moreover, they may fail to keep the skin moisturized.
While you tan your skin naturally, you can opt to use natural tanning oils like coconut oil. Coconut oil for tanning will take care of your skin while you enjoy soaking under the sun.
How to Tan with Coconut Oil
Sun exposure is one of the main causes of skin dryness, sunburn, and premature skin aging. Your skin eventually loses moisture, and prolonged exposure causes the skin to be burned. Application of coconut oil before exposing yourself to the scorching heat keeps you from such damaging effects. Coconut oils’ composition of lauric acid, medium-chain triglycerides locks in moisture to protect your skin from dryness and further damage. Moreover, it has antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal properties to protect you from any possible infection and inflammation. It’s also rich in antioxidants that protect the skin from burning and sun damage.
Unlike chemical-based sunscreens and sunblocks, coconut oil is 100% natural. It’s totally free from toxic ingredients like paraben. This natural tanning oil is very affordable and readily available. The sweet scent will make you feel like you’re sunbathing somewhere in the tropics!
Coconut oil has vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that nourish your skin and give it a healthy glow. Moreover, the skin becomes smooth and shiny. And because it’s oil in nature, your skin is well-hydrated and moisturized.
No need to expose yourself longer to the sun. Coconut oil has Vitamin E and other nutrients that activate Melanin production. You get that golden tan skin faster than any chemical-based sunscreens. Applying coconut oil on the skin and sunbathing for about 20 minutes will give you healthier suntanned skin.
The sun is a rich source of Vitamin D. This vitamin is essential for bone growth and strength. However, it’s usually blocked by most sunscreens and sunblocks. Your skin absorbs more Vitamin D without harming it from the sun’s UV rays with coconut oil.
Coconut oil does not have a high enough UV protection ability to provide significant UV sun protection factors for the skin, contrary to popular belief. Sunburns can still occur while tanning with only coconut oil on the skin.
Coconut oil, like other tanning oils, forms a crust on top of the skin. This layer accelerates tanning by allowing UVA and UVB rays to reach the melanocytes, which produce melanin easily.
This means that while you can tan more quickly, you will also burn more quickly. Sunburns are a no-no. Coconut oil can not shield you from the sun on its own, and it should not be used alone.
The actual amount of time you can be exposed to the sun without protection is determined by your skin type. If you are out in the sun for an extended period of time when the UV Index is 3 or higher, you should wear sunscreen along with coconut oil for better UV protection.
Preparing your body for a tan, whether done in the sun or not, is the same as it is for any other tanning session. Use a soft exfoliating scrub or a loofah brush to exfoliate the skin. This helps remove dead skin cells, giving the skin a more radiant look and preparing it for tanning.
Now that you’ve read the benefits of coconut oil for tanning, here are ways to tan with coconut oil. You’ll surely get that healthy sun-kissed complexion in no time!
You can use it as your natural sunscreen while you enjoy a good tanning session.
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Use this mixture as your daily sunscreen solution.
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You can apply this natural tanning oil while you go out for a sunbath.
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Some people use coconut oil to help them get a tan, and there are even people who use it to get rid of their tan. Pure coconut oil, like coconut oil for tanning, cannot immediately erase your tan.
A tan caused by increased melanin due to UV exposure cannot be removed by simply slathering coconut oil on the skin. As long as you are exposed to UV light, the melanin will still be there. It’s there to protect your body, so your body won’t release much of it until it’s no longer needed.
Spray tans and sunless tanning, on the other hand, affect the outermost layer of the skin. Since the dead cells affected can be quickly exfoliated, it is easier to remove fake tan this way. You may use a coconut oil scrub, which is a mixture of coconut oil and sugar, salt, or coffee grounds, in this situation.
You’ll Need: Coconut Oil, Brown Sugar, and Almond
You’ll Need: Coconut oil, Honey, Yogurt, and Turmeric
With these natural tanning methods using coconut oil, you can naturally achieve a healthy tanned complexion. However, coconut oil can’t guarantee 100% protection for your skin from the sun’s harmful UV rays. You shouldn’t stay too long under the sun. Spending about ten to fifteen minutes outside with coconut oil applied on the skin is enough to give you a healthy tan. It also provides a healthy dose of Vitamin D for the skin to absorb. Moreover, remember to buy pure, unrefined virgin coconut oil as it retains most of the nutrients.